Mr. John Bryan:

On the other question Deputy Deering asked, I do not believe there was a link to the sheep and the sucklers. As the Deputy stated, Teagasc made a mistake in the 1990s and indicated that 2 million sheep could be grazed almost for free. The Chairman is aware that would never have been possible because there is no such thing as a free lunch. Teagasc also stated that every dairy farmer should have two cows in tow at all times. When there was no grass in the spring, however, they suddenly discovered that this did not work. It might have worked on paper but it was not brilliant advice. They got in fast and they got out fast. We can comfortably sustain an additional 1 million sheep and 1 million suckler cows. That would be good for the economy. Does the Chairman wish to call a halt?